chloe collyer

Angela Davis, Town Hall Seattle, 

MLK Unity Day 2017

As the sun was setting Thursday night, a line of over 100 people began forming outside Town Hall. Temperatures were below freezing, and Chasity Jones was one of the people braving the weather in hopes to see Angela Davis speak.

This is Chasity’s first Seattle winter, and her first time attending a public speaking event since moving. She’s glowing with excitement, “Angela Davis has taught me so much about loving myself, my own blackness, and fighting for what I believe in”  tells me,  “ever since the [election] results, a lot of people are waking up, and understanding we need to do something.” Further up the line, I met Dr. Valerie Hunt and her students from Seattle Central’s Professional Ethics class. They’re a diverse group of women, waiting first in line. Some hadn’t heard of her before recently, some like Val, have idolized her. “I believe that if you believe in it, you have to live it, and Angels lives it.” Val professes. Once inside, live music, poetry and prayers lead by Duwamish and Lokta tribal leaders ushered the crowd into a rounding ovation for Dr. Angela Davis. Front-and-center was a reserved section occupied by city council member Mike O’brien, and almost 15 No Youth Jail activists.

Dr. Davis speaks with complete grace while tackling the key issues of our recent election cycle. She reminding the crowd that neither candidate was ready to address issues of Capitalism, and even Sanders who is well loved for his socialist ideals, wasn’t able to address how our system of capitalism is also inherently racist. Her speech conveys that the best way to rise up as a struggling society, is by its most vulnerable members first.

Davis ended on a powerful message, conveying that the best way to rise up as a struggling society, is by uplifting it’s most vulnerable members first. This lead her into a final, definitive point: “our prisons need to be abolished”.  The reserved section erupted.

Dr. Davis clearly stated her support for the No Youth Jail movement while standing side-by-side with city council chair Bruce Harrell, who seems not in good-standing with the group of anti-incarceration activists. Many of the night’s audience questions were directed at both Harrell and the city council and the direct dialog between the two groups had the audience on the edge of our seats.

For a moment Seattle’s own local politics overshadowed our honored guest.